City of Orange and Orange Police Ignoring Hoodlums, Drinking, and Drug Use at Serrano Park

Staff Report

Serrano Park is located in the upper reaches of eastern Orange in a private community called Serrano Heights just west of the border of Orange and Anaheim Hills.

Many families use the park everyday, and the picnic areas are usually full on the weekends.

The small park has many features, including a large grassy area, a 1/3 mile walking path,  a standard-size basketball court, a well-kept sand volleyball court, and a children’s play area with padded landing areas.

Orange Community Services employees are there every morning to ensure the park is in shape for the day.

It is a very isolated and quiet area located at the end of Apache Creek Rd, which is what draws many to the park.

And it is that isolation that is causing a big problem inside the park.

Satellite view of Serrano Park.

The park now constantly attracts hoodlums, drunks and drug users at night who stay for hours, litter the park, even break glass in the parking lot, on the basketball and in the sand volleyball court.

Used condoms have even been seen in the park.

Just today, November 17, 2018, HMG-LCCN observed what is becoming commonplace in the park; and many residents are complaining that the Orange Police are turning a blind eye to the problem.

The police are seldom seen in Serrano Heights; it is far from the center of Orange and close to the border with Anaheim Hills.

They are ignoring the problems in the area and at the park with their actions.

HMG-LCCN learned this week that the City sends Community Services employees – possibly putting them in harms way – to “patrol” the park until 10 pm.

What an insurance nightmare.

It is highly unlikely that hoodlums would stop what they are doing when they saw the white pick up truck with a very small city of Orange logo.

The practice of sending the employees also adds to the evidence that the City and Orange Police are ignoring what is becoming a massive problem.

Broken glass from a beer bottle strewn over entire basketball court

One resident said told HMG-LCCN, “all they have to do is send a car here at around eleven at night, once these people see a cop car they won’t be back, but we hardly ever see police up here, the only time they are seen in the area is when someone calls them or they are giving ticckets on Serrano Rd.

That is another problem ignored by the City and the police.

Drivers routinely speed on the seldom patrolled road with radar police catching cars going 75 mph; the speed limit is 40 mph, two people have died on the road in the past decade.

To report suspicious activity you can call the Orange Police at 714-744-7444.

Two beer bottles thrown on the grass. All photos taken during one morning.

Another quart size beer bottle in the park.

Yet another beer bottle.

A bottle in the volleyball court.

NICE GUY: Orange Community Services employee sweeps the broken glass, he also picked up other trash and bottles in the park

JOY RIDE: Tire tracks in the middle of the grass portion of the park.

Trash thrown over the parking lot.